Joe Cary

Joe Cary lives with his family outside of Philadelphia. His work has appeared in One Story and Monkeybicycle and received a Special Mention in the 2020 Pushcart Prize anthology. He test-markets random phrases on Twitter @JoeCary5150.

VISION QUEST by Joe Cary

Nestled in his sleeping bag, Randy had fallen asleep alone under the desert stars, but here is stirred by a slithering along his naked thigh and a rattle under his armpit. Half asleep, he imagines he’s dreaming, but a Stone Age part of him wrings his spine and cascades adrenaline. The rattlesnake brushes Randy’s ankle and traces halfway up his ribs, so smooth and cold he wouldn’t have placed it but for the harrowing sound. A collision of fear and logic keeps him rabbit-still. The slick, thick thing slides across the old bruise left by Phil’s wingtips and curls around…

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